Milwaukee Bucks have a hole in the NBA final against Phoenix Suns, but they’ve been here before

Milwaukee – For the second time this postseason, the Milwaukee Bucks have stumbled home 2-0 with key players not shooting.

Milwaukee fans waited 47 years for the NBA finals to return to their city. You’ll end up watching Chris Paul, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns celebrate a championship at the Fiserv Forum when the home team can’t change things quickly.

“We were back 0-2 before then,” said Bucks all-star Khris Middleton. “I’m not saying we can do exactly the same thing we did last time. It’s going to be tough. That’s a great team over there. But we just have to stay on course. “

Game 3 is Sunday night, the first NBA final game in Milwaukee since 1974 that is a noisy scene inside and outside the arena.

The suns are ready.

“We have to be us and we have to be the hungrier team and we will,” said Paul.

The Suns had two double-digit wins at Phoenix, where they were largely in control of both games in the second half. Neither team came down 3-0 in the NBA, so the Bucks’ situation is grim.

But they fought their way back from a situation that seemed just as dire last month.

The Bucks skipped two games in Brooklyn to begin the Eastern Conference semifinals and were even less competitive there than in Phoenix. Milwaukee was 49 points behind in Game 2, on the way to a 125-86 loss.

“In Game 2 we got embarrassed and embarrassed,” recalled Middleton. “Many thought our season was over. We still believed in ourselves. “

The Bucks took the next two home to balance things out and won the series in a Game 7 thriller in Brooklyn, but they had some help with this comeback. Kyrie Irving missed the last three games with a sprained ankle and James Harden played them through with a hamstring strain, leaving the Nets with little good guard play.

No luck for the Bucks this time.

Booker and Paul have a combined 113 points, overtaking Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson (106 in 2018) for the most points from a starting backfield in the NBA Finals in the past 50 years.

The Bucks can’t rely on a change of scene to change the way the suns attack them.

“It’s the final. We’re playing for the prize, ”said Booker. “I don’t think there will be a storm that we haven’t seen.”

The Bucks are at home 7-1 in the postseason but now they’re welcoming the best travel team in the NBA. Phoenix was on the road 24-12 during the regular season and won 6-2 in the postseason, finishing all three of its series in his opponent’s building.

Booker believes that this season’s strict coronavirus protocols – which largely prevented players from going on road trips much – strengthened team loyalty due to spending time together in hotels.

Paul has a different explanation for the Suns street success.

“It’s nice when you can silence a lot,” he said. “It’s fun, it’s fun. I think our team, we have the right mindset for it. “

Middleton shot 5-for-16 in Game 2, while Jrue Holiday scored 4-for-14 and 7-for-21 clunkers in Phoenix. His job is to guard Booker and Paul and maybe rob some of the effort he can muster on the other end.

“The effort that we need for this and that we take defensively on his shoulders is considerable,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. “But it’s the playoffs. It’s the finale. I think everyone has to be able to be at a high level on both sides of the square. “

With Holiday and Middleton struggling with Thursday’s 118-108 loss, the Bucks were again far from their NBA-leading average of 120.1 points during the regular season. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 points in playoff career but he needs more help.

Maybe he’ll get a boost from his teammates on Sunday.

He’s sure to get one from his fans.

“It will be fun,” said Antetokounmpo. “We know we play in the NBA Finals in front of the fans who have supported us all year and it’s been (almost) 50 years since we played here in Milwaukee, it’s going to be exciting for sure.”